Interview with Keely Brooke Keith & GIVEAWAY | The Engrafted Word

Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely was a tree-climbing, baseball-loving ‘80s kid. She grew up in a family who frequently relocated. By graduation, Keely lived in 8 states and attended 14 schools. Keely’s many adventures include: being an exchange student, recording with a former Beatles producer, being chased through the New Mexico desert by a rattlesnake, jumping out of an airplane at 14,500 feet, and sleeping under the open sky in the Australian outback.

Keely is a bass guitarist and plays on worship teams and for solo artists. She is married to singer/songwriter John Martin Keith, and they frequently perform and tour together. When she isn’t writing stories or playing bass, Keely enjoys dancing, having coffee with friends, and sifting through vintage books at antique stores.

Keely resides on a hilltop south of Nashville with her husband and their daughter, Rachel.

For more info, visit her at www.keelybrookekeith.com

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Savanna:  Welcome to The Engrafted Word, Keely.  Congratulations on your upcoming release, Uncharted Redemption. I sure enjoyed it! 🙂 What do you hope readers will take away most from your stories?

Interview with Keely Brooke Keith & GIVEAWAY | The Engrafted WordKeely:  I try to tell stories that are comforting, thought provoking, and encouraging. I hope readers get to the end of my books feeling like they’ve gone on an adventure and they’re better off for it.

Savanna: Can you tell us what first sparked the ideas for Levi and Mandy’s story?

Keely:  I always wanted to write the stories of several siblings and as I was writing Lydia’s story in The Land Uncharted, it became obvious that Levi carried so much baggage it affected his every movement. Though they’d been through the same tragedies, Levi saw things differently from Lydia and it made him bitter. Also a big chunk of his baggage was his unfulfilled longing to be with Mandy and even though she seemed superficial at first, there was much going on beneath her pretty surface. I wanted to mine the depths of them both for Uncharted Redemption.

Savanna:  After reading your first book, I know I couldn’t wait to dive in to the second one. 😉

I love the playlists you included on your website. How fun! If you had to pick just one song to describe each of the books in the Uncharted Series, what would they be?

Interview with Keely Brooke Keith & GIVEAWAY | The Engrafted WordKeely:  Love is Waiting by Brooke Fraser for The Land Uncharted

How Emptiness Sings by Christa Wells for Uncharted Redemption

Fire and Dynamite by Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors for Uncharted Inheritance

Savanna:  Fun! Now I’m going to have to go look those up. 😉

Can you name an author who challenges and inspires you?

Keely:  Wow—just one? The answer to this question changes with whatever I’m currently reading. At present Eleanor Catton’s writing captivates me. Her command of language inspires me.

Savanna:  What is one of your most unforgettable moments from your writing career to date?

Interview with Keely Brooke Keith & GIVEAWAY | The Engrafted WordKeely:  When I received my first publishing offer, my husband was so happy he got a little teary eyed. Man tears—especially happy man tears—are always unforgettable.

Savanna:  Aww, love that! 🙂 Is there anything else you’d like to add? Any upcoming projects you can share with us?

Keely:  I just approved the final edits of the third book in the Uncharted series, Uncharted Inheritance. I’m super excited about this story; it delivers some long-awaited answers in this series.

And I’m currently writing the founders’ story—those who’ve read The Land Uncharted know what I’m talking about. No title yet. It’s all new characters, but a familiar history. I’m taking my time with it and loving every minute of writing it.

Savanna:  Wow! That sounds great, Keely. Thanks for being my guest this week. Have a blessed 2015!

GIVEAWAY!!

Keely has graciously offered to give away a copy of Uncharted Redemption. Enter below and it could be YOU! 😉

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for entering! Contest is open only in the U.S. and ends Feburary 24, 2015.  The winner will be notified by email. Happy Reading, everybody! 😉